Display apparatus



Sept. 19 1939. R. H. Gl-:lsER

DISPLAY APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 5, 1 95'7 Vm] Hl abbo/IMM Sept. 19, 1939. R. H. GElsER DI S PLAY APPARATUS Filed Aug. 5, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 19, 1939. R. H. GElsER DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Aug. 5, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IIIIIIIIIIII @www Sept. 19, 1939. R, H. GElsl-:R 2,173,329

DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Aug. 5, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 @Jv/Aw Patented Sept. 19, 1939 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPLAY APPARATUS Robert H. Geiser, Waynesboro, Pa.

Application August 5, 1937, Serial No. 157,613

8 Claims. (Cl. 40-52) This invention relates to a sign apparatus and showing the sign drive and positioning apparatus more particularly to a device suitable for use in in different phases of its operation; store windows and in display rooms where it is Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view through the apdesired to effectively attract attention to a numparatus casing taken along line l-l of Fig. 4

5 ber of articles or important features of one parin the direction of the arrows; 5

ticular article. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of the electrical The device is suitable for use in adark or connections; darkened store window or display room in a Fig. 9 is a vertical cross section of a circuit manner such that the sign changing apparatus, making apparatus;

l0 which is illuminated and other illuminating Fig. 10 is a section taken on line I-I of 10 means which may be arranged for coaction there- Fig. 9; and, with, effectively attract attention and point out Fig. 11 is a section taken on line II-II of matter which the operator desires to convey to Fig. 9. the minds of prospective buyers and other ob- Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 discloses the 15 servers, front of a store having two show windows A and l5 The apparatus is also suitable for use in B, respectively. In the window A an apparatus theatres, night clubs, schools and in other places in accordance with the invention is utilized to where an operator desires, by the use of mechanilluminate an article therein and simultaneously ical means such as the present invention, to siwith such illumination present advertising matmultaneously convey certain facts to an audience ter relating thereto on a sign. In the window B 20 and at the same time ingeniously hold the atten. a similar apparatus is utilized to illuminate a tion of the said audience in a manner that the'. particular feature of an article and at the same subject matter to be conveyed is effectively imtime present to the observer a sign setting forth pressed upon the mind of the observers because ldescription o'f such feature.

of the association with the facts conveyed of the Fig. 2, the sign apparatus is disclosed as hav- 25 attractive signs, lights and fascinating operationl ing a base I0, a central cylindrical body portion thereof. II having a frontframed window I2 and remov- An object of the invention is to provide an able end caps I3. apparatus for displaying a sign in an attractivel A rear view of the same device, shown in Fig. 3,

80 manner. discloses a panel member I4 mounted on the rear 30 Another object of the invention is the provision of the cylindrical body portion II and six search of an apparatus for displaying a sign and silights I5 disposed symmetrically along said multaneously therewith illuminating an object. panel I4.

Another object of the invention is to provide a A longitudinal section taken through the body method for displaying a sign and illuminating portion II and caps I3, referring to Fig. 4, dis- 35 an object. closes an alternating current motor I6 mounted Other objects and the nature and advantages of on suitable supports I'I toa gear casing I8 which the invention will be apparent from the follow in turn is mounted by suitable supports I9 to a ing description taken in conjunction with the disc like end piece 20. A transformer 2I is se- 40 accompanying drawings, wherein; curedto the motor supports I1 in any suitable 40 Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a store havmanner not shown, and is utilized to commute ing two front windows, in each of which is lothe usual house current of one hundred and ten cated an apparatus in accordance with the presvolts supplied to the -apparatus to six Volts for ent invention; use in the search light and lamp circuits later Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the sign changing to be described. The electric motor I6 is de- 45 apparatus casing; signed to operate on approximately one hundred Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the sign changing and ten volts and is not connected in the secapparatus casing; ondary circuit of the transformer. The motor Fig. 4 is -a longitudinal section through the I6, while operating on ordinary house current, is

casing showing some of the apparatus therein;l designed to drive the relatively shoft shaft 22 5G Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken along the through the gearing within the casing I8 at a line 5 5 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the speed of approximately one revolution every farrows, showing the sign drive and positioning teen to thirty seconds. The shaft 22 passes apparatus; through a hole 23 in disc like end piece 20 and Fig. 6 is\an enlarged view similar to Fig. 5 but is secured to a bearing piece 24 in any suitable` 55 manner. Secured to said bearing piece 24 is a disc piece 25 having formed therein openings through which pass crank arms 26 which may be fabricated of ordinary wire.

Cooperating with thebearing piece 24 is a shaft 21 having one end rotatable within said bearing piece 24 and having mounted thereon and secured thereto by a key 28 a collar 28 to which is secured, by suitable means, across its disclike face 30, a bar piece 3| having two bent end portions 32 to which are attached helical spring members 33 in any suitable manner as for example by hooking the ends of the springs through holes in said bent end portions 32. The opposite ends of said springs 33, respectively, are attached to the inner ends of said crank arms 26 in a manner similar to that by which the springs are fastened to the bent end portions 32 of bar 3|. The bent end portions 32 of bar 3| are provided with holes through which may pass the outer ends of crank arms 26. Disposed at equal distances from each other and on the circumference of an imaginary circle, on said disclike end piece 20, said circle having a radius slightly less than that distance from the center of the shaft 22 to the outermost end of a crank arm 26, are six stop pins 34.

Attached to end portions 32 of bars 3| are substantially U-shaped leaf spring members 35. The opposite end of the shaft 21 passes through a bearing 36 in a disclike end piece 31 similar to the disclike end piece 28. A collar 38 and a collar 39, each fastened to the shaft 21 by suitable means, have secured thereto at their disclike end portions 40 and 4|, respectively, sign frame end pieces 42 and 43 respectively, which are formed from metal discs having segments thereof turned inwardly at right angles to the body of the disc to form a at regular hexagon. Disposed in parallel relation to the shaft 21 and secured to the sign frame end pieces 42 and 43 at the corners 44 of the regular hexagon are bars 45 having their edges formed to receive signs 46.

Secured to the end piece 31 by screws 41 is a fiber cup shaped piece 48 having a central opening 49 through which may pass the shaft 21.

Referring to Fig- '1 metallic contact pins 50 having heads 50a are disposed in pairs at distances of 60 degrees apart about the cylindrical body of the cup shaped piece 48. In contact with the pins 50 is an electrical conductor 5| Wrapped about the circumference of the fiber cup 48. A fiber collar 52 is secured by suitable means to the end of shaft 21 having attached thereto a revolving metallic arm 53 cooperating with stationary contact arm 53a to which revolving arm is secured leaf spring contact 54 for engagement with the heads 50a of pins 50. Also referring to Fig. 7, search light l5 is shown secured to the panel l 5 through the medium of a ball and socket joint 55.

Referring to Fig. 5, an electric lamp 56 is shown in association with reflector 51 for illuminating translucent Window 58 for causing diffused light to illuminate sign 46 and reflect through the opening 59 in cylindrical body casing portion which also may have a window of transparent material 60 disposed therein, to the eye of an observer.

Signs 46 may be inserted in position between the bars 45 of the sign holding frame by nexing said cards and slipping them between the grooves formed in the bars 45 for that purpose. Other means may be employed for holding the signs than that shown, for example, ythe signs may be pasted to the frame or they may be bolted thereto by suitable bolts or they may be secured to the frame by special clips or other fasteners.

When the apparatus is connected to a one hundred and ten volt source, the motor I6 operates to drive the shaft 22 through gearing I8 at a speed of approximately one revolution every fifteen to thirty seconds causing the inner ends of crank arms 26 which are secured to the disclike flange portion 25 of collar 24 to take positions at variance to their initial position causing springs 33 to be placed under tension as shown in Fig. 6 in full lines. Continued rotation of collar 24 by shaft 22 causes the crank arms to recede from bearing relation with stop pins 34 whereby springs 33 under tension tends to assume a neutral position driving the bar 3| secured to the ends of springs 33 to the `position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6 and then to locking position and engagement with pins 34 as shown in Fig. 5. This operation causes the sign holding frame to move from a position showing one sign'to an observer to a position showing a second adjacent sign to the observer. Simultaneously with the change of signs the revolving arm 53 is rotated from one set of pins 50 to a second set causing window lights 6|, see Fig. 8, and lamp 56 to flicker during the sign changing interval and also to shift current from one search light |5 to a second light in the series, the first search light being arranged for focus on a feature of an apparatus or an article of merchandise relating to the matter depicted on said first sign and the second search light focused on a second feature of a machine or a second article of merchandise relating o the matter depicted on said second sign. It is to be noted that whereas the driving motor operates on one hundred and ten volts that the lights all operate on a much lower voltage for example, six volts and are in the secondary circuit of the transformer. The motor may be of very small capacity as it is only called upon to rotate the disc 24 through reducing gearing in casing I8 at a very slow rate of speed; it is also to be noted that all the illumination is derived from a six volt circuit making for a very economical system.

From the above specification of the elements of the apparatus and their arrangement in an electrical circuit, it will be clear that the apparatus may be used in a darkened or completely dark Window, that the apparatus may only be illuminated when the sign is in position, that the article or feature to be illuminated will only be illuminated when the sign relating thereto is in position, that the illumination of both sign and article or feature occurs for a reasonable length of time, and that by operation of hand switch 62 the store window light may be entirely cut out. A separate lighting circuit may, of course, be installed to produce any desired collateral effect.

With the spring 35 and crank arm 26 cooperating with pin 34 in the manner described, there will be no bounce when the frame passes from one sign showing position to another for the forward speed will be in part absorbed by the spring 35 and after impact of the crank arm 26 with the pin 34, it will be locked in position by the bent end portion 63 of the spring 35 and the end of the crank arm 26 making for a silent, smooth and satisfactory operation.

Though two revolving doors 53 are shown in schematic Fig. 8, for the sake of clearness, it is to be understood that a single arm 53, as shown for example in Figs. 4 and '1, having a contact 75 piece 54- broad enough to contact both sets of pins 58, may be utilized.

Referring to Figs. 9, 10 and 11, a modified form of circuit making apparatus is disclosed which may be used in conjunction with search lights for window display as already described collaterally to or independently of any sign apparatus. A motor 64, in Fig. 9, is arranged to drive through suitable gearing, now shown, within housing 65, a shaft 66 upon which is mounted a. collar member 61 having earlike extensions 68. Through one of said ears 68 is pivotally secured a crankarm 69 and to the other ear 68 of collar 61 is fastened one end of a helical spring 10. The other end of the helical spring 10 is f fastened to a cross bar member 1I at its bent portion 12. At the other end of cross bar member at the bent end portion of the other end of the bar member 1I opening 14' is provided through which crank arm 69 projects. The cross bar member 1| is mounted upon a driven shaft 15, mounted in bearing 16, supported in platelike discs 11 upon which is secured by suitable means such as bracket x11' fiber cylinder 18 in which are mounted contact pins 19 having heads 80. Mounted upon shaft 15 for cooperation with heads of contact pins 19 is revolving arm 8|, fabricated of fiber or other insulating material, having secured at its outer end a metallic springlike leaf piece 82 for successive cooperation with the heads 80 of each pair of contact pins 19.

The motor 64 is arranged to be supported upon bracket member 83 secured to base 84 by means of bolts 85. The disclike piece 11 is supported in parallel spaced relation to bracket member 83 by suitable bolts 85'. A series of stops 86 are arranged at suitable intervals, for example, 60 degrees apart, on disclike piece 11, for cooperation with crank arm 69. A series of circuits, not shown, may include a suitable source of current and aseries of electric lamps for illuminating objects successively for predetermined lengths of time and may be connected to contact pins 19 in such a manner that when each pair of contact pins 19 is bridged by metallic spring member 82 a particular lamp for illuminating a predetermined object will have its circuit closed, whereby said object will be illuminated for a predetermined time. The operation of the device insofar as it provides for intermittent rotation of the shaft 15 is similar to that described with reference to thev sign changing apparatus depicted in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 in that it shows means for causing crank arm 69 to recede until it releases the driving mechanism from the stop pins 86 permitting the spring member 18 which has beenplaced under tension to drive the cross bar member 1I and the shaft upon which it is mounted 15 to rotate until crank arm 69 again engages a stop 86 whereupon the cycle of the operation repeats itself.

Instead of the-electric circuit being bridged by metal spring member 82 contacting two contact pins 19, the said two pins may be arranged in two separate circuits having a common side which may be brought in through stationary metal bar 81 and thence through revolving arm 8| where the current may divide, part of it going to one contact pin 19 through its circuit and the other part of the current going through the second pair of contact pins 19 to a second circuit, respectively. If the apparatus is to be utilized in a manner just described the revolving arm 8l is to be fabricated of a good metal conductor. The spring member 88 attached to cross bar mem- .speciflcation but only as indicated ber 1I is pierced in order that crank arm 68 may project through it and performs a similar function in this apparatus to that performed by spring member 85 in the apparatus shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. It is formed in the manner shown to prevent "bounce" and also to relieve shock. This construction makes for a quick acting switch which eliminates arcing. At the time when the crank arm 69 has receded to the point where it is no longer held by stop pin 86, the spring is under full tension and will quickly drive the mechanism to the next stop providing for a quick make and break. The entire apparatus may be encased in a housing 89 which cooperates with base 84 to form a neat casing.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in this device without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore the invention is not limited to whatl is shown in the drawings and described in the in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for causing intermittent rotation of a shaft comprising an electric motor of relatively small capacity, a gear reducing mechanism arranged to be driven by said motor, a shaft extending from said gear reducing mechanism, a disc associated with said shaft, a crank arm pivotally secured thereto, a spring member associated with said disc, a second shaft to be driven, a bar piece secured to said shaft and to an end of said spring, bearing means for said shaft associated with the shaft extending from said gear mechanism, all of said elements being so arranged that when the disc is rotated by the motor through the medium of the gear mechanism the spring member will be placed under tension causing rotation of said second shaft in order to relieve said tension and to assume a neutral position, stop means arranged in spaced relation to the first shaft for cooperation with said crank arm in such a manner that when the spring member is in neutral position the stop means will prevent rotation of the entire crank arm about the axis of the first shaft but will cause rotation of the crank arm at its pivotal connection with said disc about said shaft in a manner such that when the disc is rotated the outer end of the crank arm will recede from said stop means until it no longer engages therewith, simultaneously with such recession the4 spring member will be placed under tension and cause rotation of said second shaft to relieve said tension.

2. In a circuit making and breaking apparatus, a motor, a spring, a contact arm and a series of consecutive contacts, a source of electric current leadingA to said contact arm and from said contacts, means cooperating with said motor and said spring to store up in 'said spring energy from said motor, driving mechanism cooperating with said contact arm and said spring for effecting movement of said contact arm from one contact to the next successive contact whereby a relatively short period of open circuit condition exists.

3. The apparatus recited in claim 2, andqstop mechanism whereby said spring is prevented from actuating said contact arm, and release mechanism to cause said stop mechanism to have no effect on the motion of said contact arm whereby said contact arm is permitted to pass from one contact to a second contact.

4. For use in a show window a sign appa- 15 ratus and an illuminating apparatus, the former including a plurality of sockets and the latter including mechanism for illuminating different objects, means coordinating the sign apparatus and the illuminating apparatus including an electric motor of relative small capacity, a gear reducing mechanism arranged to be, driven by said motor, a shaft extending from said gear reducing mechanism, a disc associated with said shaft, a crank arm pivotally secured thereto, a spring member associated with said disc, a second shaft to be driven, a bar piece secured to said shaft and to an end of said spring, bearing means for said shaft associated with the shaft extending from said gear mechanism. all of said elements being so arranged that when the disc is rotated by the `motor through the medium of the gear :mechanism the spring member will be placed under' tension causing rotation of said second shaft in order to relieve said tension and to assume a neutral position, stop means arranged in spaced relation to the first shaft for cooperation with said crank arm in such a manner that when the spring member is in neutral position the stop meanswill prevent rotation of v the entire crank arm about the axis of the rst shaft but will cause rotation of the crank arm at its-pivotal connection with said disc about said shaft in a manner such that when the disc is rotated the outer end of the crank arm will recede from said stop means until it no longer engages therewith, simultaneously with such recession the springvmember will be placed under tension and cause rotation of said second shaft to relieve said tension.

5. In a quick make and break switch apparatus, a motor, a spring, a contact arm and series A.of consecutive contacts, an electric circuit including. at least two of said contacts, means cooperating with said motor and said spring to store up in said spring energy from said motor while said contact arm is stationary, driving mechanism cooperating with said contact arm and said spring for effecting rapid movement of said contact arm from the rst of said two contacts to the second of said two contacts.

6. An apparatus for causing intermittent rotation of a shaft comprising an electric motor, a gear reducing mechanism and spring motor, a shaft driven by said spring motor, said electric vmotor arranged to beV driven continuously, said spring motor arranged to be energized intermittently and deenergized intermittently, saidspring motor comprising an elastic medium, one end of which is fastened to means driven by said electric motor and the other end of which is fastened to said driven means, means for preventing rotation of said driven means, and means for releasingsaid rotation preventing means responsive to a predetermined number of revolutions of said electric motor.

7. For use in a display compartment such as a show window or the like having therein a series of objects on display, lighting devices arranged to illuminate said objects, sign' apparatus in, cluding a plurality of rotatably mounted signs,'

means for rotating said signs to bring the latter :into view in consecutive order, an electric circuit ly holding said signs in a single viewing position,

means for moving said signs to bring each of them into view in consecutive order, an electric circuit operatively connecting said sign moving means with said lighting devices. said circuit including means arranged to effect closing of the circuit at predetermined intervals and energize said lighting devices to thereby illuminate a cer- Y tain object in accordance with anappropriate visible sign. ROBERT H. GEISER. 

